Pregnancy apps and social media – are we being watched? terms of outcomes for mothers and babies. Looked at through the lens of the panopticon, it is a clear example of how apps reinforce the current hegemony, with little regard to the mother. As internet use has increased, so too has awareness of the dangers of sharing information online. App developers make money by selling on harvested data; the user is the commodity. Research by Zimmeck et al. demonstrates that a significant proportion of apps do not have privacy policies, and of those that do, when the code was scrutinized it was found that many of the apps did not follow them. Liao et al. suggest that there may be similar issues with voice-operated apps. It is not easy to opt out of sharing data without compromising the functionality of the app, something Barassi describes as coercion. Risks can also come from family and friends unthinkingly sharing information without permission. Hargittai and Marwick found that users are aware of these risks and how hard it is to avoid them. During pregnancy, parents not only share their own data, but also that of the baby. The baby has been forced into having an online presence before they are even born. What we see in apps and on social media feeds is controlled by algorithms created by app developers, as per the synopticon. Furthermore, the data we share affects these algorithms, potentially forming a feedback loop of what we share being influenced by what we have seen, and in turn influencing what we will see. The friend in your phone is always there, always watching, and as Lyons points out, it fits in around your daily life. The friend in your phone pushes notifications at you, encouraging you to share more, to personalise more, to develop reliance upon it. Users prefer apps that are personalised, even though this comes from sharing more with them. App users are often aware that their data will be shared with all and sundry. Women report feeling ‘used’ by apps. As Sacacas observes, app users balance the gains they make from the app against the privacy risks, with users being more likely to share data when it is seen as being socially relevant. The only alternatives to sharing are to try to circumnavigate the app settings or to not use the app at all. Not using an app comes with its own problems, however. Withdrawal / non-use can be seen as being selfish or a bad mother, because the woman is opting out of what is seen as
www.aims.org.uk
the best possible care. During lockdown, social media has become a literal lifeline for some. Contributing on a social forum can enhance a person’s reputation and increase their feelings of personal satisfaction because they have helped someone else. Johnson points out that mothers can gain selfworth through their virtual, shared pregnancy. Those seen to be paying close attention to the development of their baby and to be sharing this are seen as being an appropriately caring and responsible mother. On the other hand some argue that sharing information about the baby is problematic, in part because the baby has not consented. By suggesting to a mother that she not use an app because it may put her unborn baby’s data at risk, I may be contributing to the societal norm that puts her baby’s needs above her own, when I hold strongly that this is her decision, and hers alone. However, it can only be a conscious decision, when the mother is aware of the debate So what conclusions can we draw? No app is neutral; there is always an agenda behind the development of an app. Whilst some apps are purely commercial, others are developed to meet a need that someone thinks women have; for example, those developed by health care providers, ostensibly to reduce inequality. All involve monitoring the woman in some way. Using the lens of the panopticon, it becomes clear how observation changes the way people behave: they comply with the societal norms in order to be liked, to feel good about themselves and because they see the benefits as outweighing the risks. The consequences for pregnant women around consent, informed decisionmaking, expectations of birth, and mental health have the potential to be detrimental, but so does not joining in. Acknowledgement of the hidden forces at play within social media, is not to frame women as victims. Increased awareness strengthens women’s agency and enables them to navigate those forces to their own good. It seems to me the way forward may be in creating spaces where realism flourishes and where women can ‘build their village’, communicating together through social media with an even greater sense of control, autonomy and satisfaction. Frances Attenborough lives in the North West of England and originally pursued a career in Materials Science before having children and realising that supporting mothers was much more worthwhile. References
Twitter @AIMS_online Facebook www.facebook.com/AIMSUK
19
